


The Rising

by possibleregrets



Category: Original Work
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-22
Updated: 2014-04-22
Packaged: 2018-01-20 10:51:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1507823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/possibleregrets/pseuds/possibleregrets
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which we are thrown into a world where its run by the great company of Tarin, and things are beginning to change for the worse.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Welcome to the Lab

**Author's Note:**

> yeah dont ask me why this happened i got bored. anyways, if you guys like it, and even if you dont, i'll probably update it a couple times per week. so yeah.

       The sky was dark, and freezing cold rain pelted down from the sky. I ran into the Tarin Main Building, its main glass doors gliding open easily. Pulling back the worn hood of my jacket, I walk to the front desk, the dripping water the only sound in the room.

      "Morning Miss Lana. Might I ask as to what brings you in so early?" asked the woman behind the desk. She wore a black suite as usual, wrinkle free of course, and her blonde hair pulled back. Only to be expected from the handpicked company trainees.

     "Morning Jaylen. Just here to run some tests." I reply nodding and walking to the elevator.

She tosses me a bronze key as the elevator doors open. "And don't forget your Key card either!" Jaylen called as I walked into the elevator.

     I slipped off my now less than soaking jacket and draped it over my arm, pulling out a thin card. I turn to the elevator's panel and insert the cobalt blue card into a thin hidden slot. The doors close and I insert the key into the keyhole next to the slot and turn it. The elevator gives a slight start then begins it's decent. The numbers on the panel slowly increase. BF1...BF2...BF3... I take the key out as the numbers reach BF15. The doors open seamlessly, and the familiar smell of bleach and metal fills the air.

     I walk out of the elevator and take my key card, slipping it into my pocket. I walk down the white corridor and into my office. It wasn't as large as some of the others; it was about the size of a small room with an oaken desk on the left side and a black book shelf lined with many novels on the wall next to it. Other than that, and a slim black laptop along with a large notebook on the desk, the room was practically empty. It was mostly for show anyways. I drape my coat on my desk chair, and grab the crisp white lab coat that had been hanging on my chair since yesterday afternoon. It was slightly wrinkled, and smelled of bleach. Although it had worked in the stench for most of my life by now, it didn't stop the smell from burning my throat. I pulled it on over my black shirt, grabbed my notebook and a few pens from my desk and walked out. Clipping my I.D. Tag onto my lab coat I headed towards the password protected door at the end of the hallway. The metal door shined like everything else in the building. Fingers gliding quickly over the key pad, in a matter of seconds the door opened. I pulled opened the door and walked in.

     Inside was one if the many laboratories of Tarin company. A blast of cool air rushed past me, rich with the scent of bleach and antiseptic. It was not quiet, not in the least. Screeches of pain echoed throughout the large room. To people who had not worked here for long would probably been startled and turned tail and run- excuse the terminology. I walked over to the eastern wall, which was lined with all sorts of glass cages, like those you would see in a zoo. I opened my notebook and glanced at the test subject I was to observe that day. **40X-6538**. One of the 'Owl children' as we called the hybrids. I grabbed a small kit from one of the tables nearby and slipped it into my lab coat pocket. I opened the door to the cage with the matching number and stepped in.

     The experiment wasn't one of the best hybrids, however it did have a certain... Beauty to it. It was about the size of a ten year old, with downy light brown and white feathers on it's arms. It had rather large unnerving amber eyes and short brown hair. It was rather feminine so it seemed fitting to call it a she. She was hanging upside-down from one of the metal beams jetting out of the wall, the talons on her bare feet leaving pale scratches on it. She looked at me quizzically. I sat down on one of the rocks in the 'enclosure' and simply watched, writing down a few things in my notebook every now and then to keep myself busy. The Owl Child just watched for a while, then slowly clambered down. The White body suit it wore showing the outline of it's ribs. It walked over slowly. I watched it carefully as it sat down in front of me.

     I slipped my hand into my coat pocket and pulled out the kit. The owl child cocked it's head in curiosity. I pull out a syringe full of a blue liquid and grabbed one of the child's arms. It recoils is surprise at first then stops struggling as I insert the needle into it's arm. It's bright amber eyes seem to dull over and it collapses, going limp. I let it's arm go and take out an empty syringe. I quickly draw some of it's blood and leave the room. An Asian female 'scientist' rolled over on a chair with wheels.

     "Well good morning Lana. Oh yes, and group **2245370D** is scheduled for termination, and no one is going to be in in this level until three." She said, her black wavy hair pulled back in a ponytail. Her name was Raine, the dark red shirt and white lab coat matching her red glasses. For some odd reason, she always wore a surgeon's mask and was one of the few that enjoyed working here.

     "I'll do it." I muttered. I tossed her the syringe with the blood in it. "Here. Run some tests on it will ya'?"

     Raine grinned. "Of course. You know how much I enjoy cell manipulation." she replied.

     I turn and walk deeper into the Lab while Raine rolls off to another room. I walk to the termination room, a long black room divided by thick glass. As soon as I stepped into the room, there was activity from behind the glass. Ivory claws raked at the glass, however not leaving any scratches. I stare at the group, which were several rusty orange bearlike creatures with enlonged canine teeth and claws. They were about six feet tall and were scheduled for termination after several attacked and killed an intern. I pulled a red lever nearby and a white gas filled the bear's side of the room. After watching them writhe in pain for about five minutes, they all stopped moving, one by one. I reached out and grabbed a pair of scissors and several empty syringes. After the gas dissipated, I opened the heavy steel door that allowed me to enter the other side of the room. Walking over to one of the three motionless bodies and kneeling down, I took the scissors and cut off its identity band on its left forearm. I do the same withe the others and take their blood, wrapping the tags around each vial. My nose wrinkles at the smell of their fur which stank of rancid meat and blood. Gathering the tags and the vials of slightly warm blood, I walk out of the room.

     Raine is waiting for me with a large stack of papers. "So, I have the results.... But you're not going to like them...” she smiled and spun around in her chair.

     "What is it?" I sighed.

     Raine grinned. "It seems that when added to the blood of experiment 80X, its reaction, has deadly side effects. It's only a matter of days before that particular owl child will become unstable. It will need to be terminated soon, and I'm afraid the normal gas won't work." she said.

     I recoil slightly. I knew what this meant; I would have to kill my own experiment, and the old fashioned way as well. I cringed in disgust. I hated getting my lab coat dirty. There was a faint twinge however, whether it was from pity or the fact I actually knew the child before she was experimented on, I didn't know. "I'll do it tomorrow. Right now I have work to do." I responded stiffly, shoving the thoughts away.

     Raine raised an eyebrow. "Going to BF54 are we?" she asked.

     "Whatever would give you that idea?" I gave a small smile and walked to the lab door, slipping the vials and the tags into my pocket.

     Raine rolled off and began talking to herself.... Something about masks....

     I glance at the watch around my wrist and sigh. All of this before even six in the morning...


	2. Welcome to the End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the story skips eight years into the future to introduce some new characters and more of the plot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it will switch between points of view wow please calm down

     "Run!!" I scream at the top of my lungs. Red hair whipping around my head, all five of us set into a run.

     "Scarlet! There's no way we can make it! They're too fast!" my brother cried from behind me. His short light brown hair flying.

     Zara, one of the other survivors in our group ran up beside me, a machete in her left hand. Blue blood stained it. "I managed to stab one in the eye, but it-" she was interrupted by a blood curdling shriek of rage. A lizard-like humanoid with sharp teeth and green venom dripping from its mouth stood on the ruins of a building a few yards away. Blue blood ran down its triangular head from an empty eye. It was flanked by two others of its kind. They hissed and their steel bladed tails lashed angrily, scales glinting in the light. They jumped forward, venom green eyes narrowed to slits.

     We all continued to run, not even daring to look back. There was a loud scream, and I turned. Even now I wished I hadn't. Tarn, one of the younger ones in our group had been caught by the leader, struggling uselessly as the beast dug its claws into her back. She screamed, the noise echoing though our bones. All of a sudden, the beast flew backwards, blood gushing from a hole in its skull. Moments later, the other two lizard folk were dead as well.

     Perched on the top of one of the ruins was a black clothed girl of about 17, and seemed only a little taller than me. She had a sniper rifle in her hand and glared at us. Allen, the last of our group rushed over to Tarn. I stood still, tense in case this newcomer tried to gun us down as well.

     "Who are you, and what business do you have here?" the girl asked watching everyone with a hawk-like gaze. Her eyes lingered on Sol for a moment.

     Allen looked up. "Scarlet! Tarn's alive!" he said softly, his eyes filled mixed with worry and hope.

     I turn to the sniper. "Please! You have to help us!" I yelled to her.

     Her face was cold as she answered, "I don't have to help you do anything. You're lucky I'm so kind hearted." she leapt down from the building and walked over. I bent over and picked up Tarn. The girl pointed to a less destroyed building an about a quarter of a mile away.

     "Go there and tell them that Jay sent you in." the girl said before walking off.

     I watched her suspiciously then headed towards the building, Allen, Zara and my brother Sol trailing behind me.

     Sol walked beside me. "I don't trust her Scar. She reminds me too much of a member of one of the Blood Wings." he said looking at me. His gold flecked dark green eyes glancing at Tarn for a moment. She was still bleeding, but not as much as before. The jacket Allen had pressed on her wound was soaking with blood.

     The Blood Wings are a group of enhanced survivors that live to kill. They usually wore all black, and all have a tattoo of a crow's feather on their shoulders or backs. The blood wings were nearly impossible to track, which was one of the things that made them so famous. That and the fact that they practically killed everyone they met. However at the moment, I was willing to accept help from anyone at the moment.

     Sol nudged me. "Here. I'll take Tarn. Go on up  with Allen and scout ahead, see what's going on." he lifted Tarn out of my arms. He was three years older than me and half a foot taller, so it wasn't much of a problem for him.

     I nod and set into a run, motioning for Allen to follow. As we get close to the building we notice that the area isn't as destroyed as everywhere else. Several people in gray with guns ran up and pointed them at us.

     We put our hands up in submission. "Jay sent us. Our friend needs help. She's been hurt badly." I say.

     They lower their guns slightly, cautiously and then look at each other. Another guy in gray walks up from behind the others.

     "Oh, put your guns away. They obviously mean no harm." he says. He gives a small smile towards us. He's about the same size as Sol, his straight sandy blond hair waving in the breeze. The guns are put away and soon Sol, Tarn and Zara join us.

     "Come this way. We'll let the doctors see to your friend there." he nodded towards Tarn. He whistled and a stretcher was brought out. He turned to us and introduced himself. "I'm Jax. Nice to meet you." he said shaking my hand.

     I blinked. Honestly, I hadn't met anyone other than Tarn who seemed this care-free. "Uh... Scarlett." I replied. Sol glared at Jax. "That's my brother Sol, Allen and Zara. Tarn was the girl who was wounded."

     Jax nodded. "Well, I'm sure you all must be pretty tired, so feel free to stay the night. After all," he wrapped his arm around me, "it's not safe to travel after dark."

     I slipped out from Jax's arm and noticed that Sol looked like he was going to burn a hole through Jax's skull with how he was glaring at him.

    "Yeah, we'll stay." I reply simply.

     Jax nodded. "Alright then, this way!" He walked towards the building. We followed, and as we entered, there were a lot more people than we had thought. They were all dressed in neutral colors I noticed, and very few were just standing or sitting somewhere like they had nothing to do.

      "This place used to be a giant fancy hotel, but we live here now." Jax explained.

     We went up a few flights of stairs and as we reached the third floor, walked out into the hallway and motioned to the first three doors.

     "Your rooms." he smiled. "Your friend Tarn is in the infirmary downstairs. She's still healing, and they had to stitch up the wound." he added.

     "Thanks. We really appreciate it." I say.

     "My pleasure." he smiled.

     We went ahead into our rooms, Sol and Allen each taking their own rooms. Zara and I shared one. Our room had a huge bed and a couch, along with a closet and a small table.

     "I'll sleep on the couch." I say as Zara eyes the bed. She's only eleven, but is a great fighter. She's a lean and tough African American and always has her hair braided back. She’s one of the strongest fighters I’ve ever met, and I’ve defeated plenty of them.

      Zara nodded and put her sheathed machete on the table and burrowed into the covers. I lay back on the couch and it wasn't long before I was asleep.

     In my dream, I was back. Back in that stupid white cell. It nearly made me retch with the smell of bleach so strong. Someone walked in. Then another. I almost never saw their faces, those Lab-Coated psychopaths. But I saw her's. That gray eyed witch that had caused the worst thirteen years of my miserable life. She walked over, and threw something at me. It was my old I.D. Tag.

   "You may have escaped the facility, but you cannot escape what you are." she scowls at me. Her eyes are like stone, and they showed no mercy. She brings out a long knife and raises it, then brings it down and-

     I wake up in a cold sweat. I sat up on the couch, gasping for breath, my skin burning with heat.  All of a sudden, I hear a far-away scream. Zara's still in a deep asleep when I run out of the room and into the hallway. A few doors down, there's a door open and I realize it's Allen's room. I run quickly to the room, moving cautiously in case I was attacked. After a few seconds of silence, I charge into the room. I reel back when I see the scene in the room. I see Allen with a knife in his chest on the bed, and none other than my brother with bloodied hands. Surprise shows on Sol's face, then softens to almost a pitying expression. I shake my head in disbelief. I want to tell myself that my brother didn’t do this, that this was someone else. But as I looked into his eyes, I knew that I would only be lying to myself.

     "No.... Why Sol? Why?!?!" I scream. None of this made any sense.

     He gives a faint smile and a sad look and turns, a large rip in his shirt revealing crow feather tattoo on his back. "Survival of the fittest."

     And everything clicked into place.


	3. The Forgotten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We return to the lab and meet a few others, as well as show what all of our favorite scientists research has been going towards.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i dont know what happened

     The steel doors of the elevator open. Cool air fills the small area and another guy walks in. He's an Asian young man, slightly taller than myself, with short black hair that never really looks like he brushed it in the morning. A thin trail of smoke from his cigarette followed him as he walked in. He had several pieces of paper sticking out of his wrinkled lab coat, making it look even more like he had just rolled out of bed. I honestly wouldn’t have been very surprised if he had.

     He yawned.  "Hey. How's it goin' Lana?" He asked.

     I let out a small cough as the smoke slowly filled the elevator. "Cylus, would please put that thing out?!" I growl

     He grinned. "Of course sweetie. Anything for you." he inhaled deeply out of the cigarette then let it fall to the ground where he quickly stepped on it. "Heading all the way down are we?" he asked, his mismatched eyes glinting mischievously as he eyed the panel.

     I glared at him. "You're almost as bad as your sister."

     "Now now, there's no need to be like that. I work down there, so there's no need to keep anything hidden." he put his arms around my shoulders and laughed. "Besides, what kind of person would I be if I couldn't keep a secret?"

      "You would probably be dead." I glared. “And I take it back. You’re worse than Raine.”

     The elevator let out a small ding. "Here we are! After you." Cylus removed his arm and bowed slightly as the doors opened.

      I glared at him and walked out of the elevator. BF54 was one of the most dangerous floors in- well, under the building. It was where they kept the most dangerous of the experiments. It was also the floor where my sister was. I walked down the metal plated hallway, Cylus trailed behind me, muttering something about spiders. I didn't want to know. After the first time I asked I learned I never want to know.

     After a bit, the hallway became an extremely large rectangle shaped room. On every wall, there were multiple heavy steel doors next to a rectangular five inch thick piece of glass that showed inside the room behind the door. The room smelled faintly of the bleach and Cylus' cigarettes.

     There was the distinct rattle of heavy metal chains being slid on the floor as I passed by one of the doors. I looked through piece of glass beside it... Inside was a lizard-like creature covered in two inch spikes on it's spine, tail, head and legs. It was slightly smaller than a small pony, and was chained by all of its legs and its neck to the floor. Mottled green and black scales covered it from head to claw, and blood seeped from where the shackles rubbed up against the beast and rubbed the area raw. It had enough slack to move around and stand, but not much.

      "This one's new." I said without looking at Cylus.

      "Yeah... That one we call Spike. He's got a real bad temper." he replied. "Although, I thought you were here for someone else?" he tossed some keys at me.

      I caught them easily and nodded, walking over to the largest door at the very end of the room. There was no window for this one. I unlocked the door and walked in.

     Inside was a creature you could slightly tell had once been human. Pale skin was stretched over its skeleton, and it looked partially starved. Its bloodstained legs and arms were extremely long and it had a thin tail with a scarlet blade at its tip. Its tangled long black hair hid its face with its torn Bat-like wings shadowing its face even more. Dark blood seeped from cuts and gashes on the creature. Discarded and rusty chains, long since broken, lay in the corner. It turned to me as I walked in.

     "Hello, oh sister of mine..." it said. It was sort of a cross between a hiss and a rasp. She looked at me and grinned, her sharp teeth glistening. Blood stained the two inch claws on the tips of her fingers and toes.

     My face was expressionless. "Sister."

     Her red eyes gleamed. "How is the outside world? They haven't let me out in so long, and the meat here is as dreadful as ever. Worse than the time they tried to keep me on rancid fish.        Trying to serve me raw human flesh is utterly revolting." she said, raising her bloody claws to her lips and licking a forked tongue over them.

     I wince slightly as she mentions eating humans. "It's the same as usual since Tarin took over. You haven't missed much at all. Tarin has recently taken over the whole of what used to be Asia. The wars have finally stopped." I reply.

     She smiles faintly, "You know, I've been meaning to ask... About all those years ago...”

     I looked at her, watching her cock her head as if in question.

     "Tell me... Did mother cry when she sold me? Did she even shed a tear as they took her newborn child on that rainy morning?"

     I felt surprise flicker across my face. Her eyes narrowed, and her grin widened.

     "Of course you thought that I had forgotten? How could I ever forget that accursed day when I was thrown into this place that has given me nothing but suffering?!?!" she was screaming now, and her smile had vanished.

     A cold bead of sweat rolled down the side of my face, and I took a step back, startled.

    "Tell Me!!!" She yelled, pain in her voice. Her tail lashed.

    Memories rose up, and I could do nothing to stop them.

 

~~~~

 

    I was barley five at that time. My father was gone, my mother never could track him down, and he had long since abandoned us. We were almost always short on money, and barley had enough to feed ourselves. We were lucky to have a home in a real city, and that we weren’t stuck out in the dusklands, where only the ruins of the old cities and towns remained, destroyed in the war. Then, as silent as shadows, the day that my little sister was born, they came.

    There weren't many hospitals anymore, and those that were still occupied were very expensive. It wasn't surprising that she was birthed in the small apartment we called home. One of the other neighbors had come over to help, but after she had left, not even five minutes later, there was a knock on the door. With my mother in bed I went and opened the door, thinking it to be a bit odd to have people visit in the middle of the day while it was storming outside.

    There were three men dressed in suites, and had thin black briefcases. They had asked to see my mother, and I, being the ignorant child I had been, took them to her room. When I showed them into the room, and my mother saw them, her face paled. She told me to go and sit in the living room to wait. I didn’t hear the exact conversation, but I did hear her protesting rather loudly several times. And so I waited for them to leave, thinking that they were just trying to talk her into taking a loan or something. Minutes passed into hours, and they left the room, seeming to have made an agreement.  My mother followed, carrying with her a large silver box. She handed it to them, gave a small nod and wrapped her arms protectively around me. The men bid her good day and left. I didn't understand it, not at first, but after the first few days when I kept asking where my little sister was, She told me. ‘They came asking for you Lana. They wanted to take you with them and away from me. You’re my child, and I couldn’t let them take you.’ She had said. She explained that the only way to get their attention away from me was to give them her new child. She had made the agreement without a second thought. And for it, they had given them enough money to live until I was old enough to work myself.

    But the odd thing I had always noticed, was that she didn’t cry at all, and when it was ever mentioned, she acted like I never had a sister, and like none of it happened. She had been completely forgotten.

 

~~~~

 

   My sister saw the look in my eyes and hissed. "I should have known."

   "She didn't know that this is what they would turn you into..." I protested.

   "She knew very well what she was doing! If it hadn't been for me, she probably would have sold you in the blink of an eye!" She growled, her tail lashed.

   "Sophie...." I muttered. I wanted to say that she was wrong. I just didn't know if it was true.

   Her eyes narrowed. "Don't use that name. She died a long time ago. I'm not her anymore!" her voice had softened slightly at the last sentence.

   I took a shaky breath and walked to the door. I heard her claws scrape the floor and she screamed in frustration.

   "I'll be back again in two months." I mutter walking out of the room. The door closes behind me and I look up. Cylus is waiting for me, looking at me worriedly.

   "Are you okay?" he asks putting a hand on my shoulder. Her screeches can still be heard through the door, talons raking the door, even though its solid steel. Her screams seem to echo throughout me, full of anger and pain. I don't know why, but soon I'm in his arms crying into his shoulder. He hugs me tightly.


	4. The Traitors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Such a shocking development, and flirting between our favorite survivors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you have any concerns or want to announce your ships please leave a comment. ps yeah i know this chapter is short shhh

   I shake my head in disbelief. Sol looks at me, pulling the knife out of Allen's chest with the sickening sound of bone against metal. "Run Scarlett. I don't want to have to kill you too." he says softly.

   I ran out of the room blindly, tears blurring my vision. I run into my room and see Zara pulling on her shoes. She looks at me in surprise.

   "Scarlet, what's going on?" she asked worriedly.

   "Zara, get your stuff. We're taking Tarn and leaving." I reply, hearing people from downstairs tromping up the stairs.

   "What about Allen and Sol?" she asks quietly.

   "Allen is dead. Sol..... Sol killed him." I said without looking up.

   "What?! You... You must be trippin'. There’s no way-"

   "Sol is a Blood Wing, Zara." I interrupted.

   She looked at me in shock. Several people ran past the room dressed in gray and with guns. I was frozen for a moment, and then I heard them fire. I ran out of the room and to Allen's.

   Killer or not, he was still my brother, and I didn't want him dead. Five people in gray were in the room, two of them were unconscious on the floor. I guessed that they had fired warning shots, or just plain missed before Sol knocked them unconscious and kicked their guns to the side. More people came, and Jax was one of them. The others managed to get Sol's hands behind his back, make him drop the knife, and push him out of the door and downstairs.

   Jax pulled me away, every bone in my body aching to help my brother. And yet, I did nothing. Allen's body was covered in the blood stained sheet and taken out on a stretcher.  Jax walked me back to my room and we sat down on the couch, Zara wriggling in beside me.

   "He was a Blood Wing, wasn't he?" Jax asked softly.

   I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. Everything felt numb, and patches of red faded in an out of my vision. Sol had been just about the only one I thought that I could trust. He had helped me get out of that facility, and helped me recover. I thought I could trust him, but now I'm not sure I'll ever be able to even forgive him. I never thought that he, of all people, would become a cold-blooded killer...

   Zara hugged me tightly. I knew that she had seen Sol and I almost as older siblings to her, and I could practically feel her conflicting emotions. She had never seen me cry before. None of us had, and I could tell that she was at a loss of what to do.

   Tears rolled down my cheeks for a few minutes, then I stood up and took a deep breath. Jax watched me as I grabbed the bags.

   "Come on Zara. We're getting Tarn and leaving." I say. I'd seem death and betrayal before, there was no reason for me to stop now. Every thought and feeling seemed to sharpen into clarity.

   Zara sees the look in my eye and stands up as well.

   I turned to Jax. "I would appreciate it if you would show us where Tarn is." I said stiffly.

   "Now don't be hasty. She won't be able to go far. Besides, where do you plan to go?" Jax stopped us.

   "We'll head to Itos. I...I know some people." I reply.

   "Don't be ridiculous, that’s over 150 miles away. With Tarn in this condition, she'll barley make two days without medical assistance. You should go to Goriden. It's controlled by Tarin, but we should be able to get in." Jax shook his head.

   "I would prefer to go to a city that wasn't controlled by Tarin." I said stubbornly.

   Both Jax and Zara eyed me for a moment. "I suppose you have your reasons.... However, I must insist that we go to Goriden." Jax said after a moment.

   "Fine, but its best that- wait. What's this we?" I paused.

   "I'm coming with you. I know these roads better than anyone else. Besides, I can get us a ride." he shrugged as if it was nothing.

   I looked at him for a second and thought it over. "You're not coming." I said.

   He gave me a look. "Yes I am. Just give me a chance alright? Besides, the attacks by the others are getting stronger. You could use another person in your group." he argued.

   I glared at him then finally let out a sigh of defeat. As much as I hated it, he was right. "Alright. But won't your group here miss you as their leader?"

   He eyes my curiously. "What do you mean? I'm not top dog here."

   Surprise shows on my face.

  "If anything, I guess I would be more of a general or something." He said thoughtfully.

   "... who's in charge than?" I asked.

   "Oh don't worry, you'll meet her. Last I heard, she was actually checking on your friend in the infirmary." Jax said. "Speaking of which, I'll take you to her." He walked out of the room with Zara and I following.

   Once we were out in the hallway, I glanced back at Allen's room. There were still people guarding the room, so I could tell that Sol hadn't been moved yet. Jax caught me looking and put a hand on my shoulder.

   "Don't worry. We won't kill him. If anything, we'll have to let him go. We can't afford any attacks by the Bloodwings if they find out we killed one of their own." he said.

   I nodded, walking to the stairs as Jax led us down.  After a while he opened the stairwell door and we walked into what looked like an almost professional hospital. As soon as the smell of bleach hit my nose I recoiled almost instantly, memories threatening to come up. Jax cast a curious glance at me and led us into the room. A large woman greeted us, more muscle than fat, with long thick brown hair pulled back in a bun. A long brown pipe was in her mouth as she chewed on the stem.

   "Glad you two made it out. I'm Janice. Welcome to the colony." The woman smiled warmly.


End file.
